10th November - 28th January 2007

THE MILL IN MINIATURE - A Special exhibition and competition to celebrate a decade of Kath Libbert Jewellery at Salts Mill.

Absolute Leeds, Nov 2006 review of *Ten Years On*

ABSOLUTE LEEDS
NOVEMBER 2006

THE GLITTERING PRIZES
An ambitious exhibition bringing together new collections from 35 leading jewellers and metalsmiths from the UK, Europe and beyond, '10 Years On', is a celebration to mark the successful first decade of Kath Libbert Jewellery at Salts Mill, Saltaire.

The exhibition is combined with a competition based on the theme of 'The Mill in Miniature'; each designer has been invited to create a special piece of work based on their response to Salts Mill, which will form the centrepiece of their collection.

Ten years ago, Kath Libbert moved her fledgling jewellery business from a table-top stall in Leeds' Corn Exchange to Salts Mill and she has since firmly established KLJ as the region's only gallery specialising solely in contemporary jewellery, silver and metalsmithing. To celebrate this achievement - and her strong links with the Mill - Kath has invited 30 designers whose work has been exhibited at the Gallery, along with five promising new talents, to participate in '10 Years On'. The competition pieces all take their inspiration from the history of Salts Mill ¬whether it be the architecture, the workers, the textiles produced there or Titus Salt himself. This challenge has produced a fascinating range of responses, translated by the designers through both traditional and innovative techniques and using a diverse mix of materials.

The winner will be awarded a prize of £500 by an expert panel of judges, including Professor Dorothy Hogg, head of Jewellery and Silversmithing at Edinburgh College of Art; Muriel Wilson, of the Association of Contemporary Jewellery; Simon Palmer, painter and winner of the Royal Academy 2006 Windsor Newton Turner Award; and Jennifer Hallam, from the Arts Council England. A further prize will be awarded by a public vote with visitors to the Gallery being invited to choose their favourite piece. The winner of the 'popular' vote will receive a special commission from the Silver family, the current owners of Salts Mill. All of the competition pieces are for sale, creating an opportunity to own a unique piece of history - and maybe an antique of the future!

Kath said: "Many of our designers have visited Salts and have a great affection for it, so part of my thinking behind the competition was to give them the opportunity not only to be involved in celebrating our 10 years here, but also to reflect their impressions of the mill. We have received some really imaginative entries and I can't wait to see the final collection all together."

CRAFTS
NOV/DEC 2006

SALTS MILL CELEBRATES
Kath Libbert celebrates her gallery's 10th anniversary at Salts Mill with an exhibition featuring jewellery based on the theme of the 'mill in miniature'. 'The mill is physically such a wonderful place - the celebration is about this wonderful location as much as anything' says Libbert. 'People have come up with really innovative and diverse pieces.' Czech jeweller Blanka Sperkova's Alpaca neckpiece (below) made from finger-knitted coloured wire, for example, references the alpaca wool originally used in the mill. Cathy Miles's wall piece in her trademark twisted wire depicts mill owner Titus Salt and his villagers as a flock of starlings. A prize of £500 will go to the maker considered best-in-show by a jury chaired by Dorothy Hogg. But the public also get to vote on their favourite work and the winner will be commissioned to create a piece celebrating the restored mill's 20th anniversary next year.

Leeds Guide, Nov 2006 review of *Ten Years On*

LEEDS GUIDE
NOVEMBER 2006

Jewel in the Crown
Kath Libbert Jewellery turns ten
From a humble stall in Leeds' Corn Exchange, Kath Libbert upped the ante and set up her jewellery gallery in Salts Mill, Saltaire. Part of the late Jonathan Silver's restoration vision for the former textile mill, Kath Libbert Jewellery is a veritable treasure trove for contemporary jewellery, silver and metal smithing.

For her 10th birthday, 35 leading jewellers and designers from the UK and Europe have been invited to create a special piece of work on the theme of 'The Mill in Miniature'. As Kath explains: "Many of our designers have visited Salts and have a great affection for it, so part of my thinking behind the competition was to give them the opportunity not only to be involved in celebrating our 10 years here, but also reflect their impressions of the mill."

The response includes Betty Pepper's 'Lady Caroline's Cameo Appearance'. a book and necklace "ode to Lady Caroline Salt" (wife of the mill's builder Titus Salt); 'Salts Mill Nail Brooch' by Chris Philipson, a nail found in the mill's cobbles transformed into an elegant pin; 'In Memoriam' by Frank Wilson, a flying shuttle containing a welded steel figure; and 'Sir Titus Gurns', a wall-piece by Cathy Mills, "a look at Sir Titus' view on the consumption of alcohol mixed with today's binge-drinking culture." So while Titus may not approve of the drinks and canapés launch for the show, he would no doubt be full of mirth for such a successful enterprise.

Rich Jevons

Craftsman Magazine, Dec 2006 review of *Ten Years On*

CRAFTSMAN
DECEMBER 2006

10 Years On
Kath Libbert Jewellery Gallery
In 1996, Kath Libbert took the gamble of moving her fledgling jewellery business from a table-top stall in Leeds Corn Exchange to the lofty surrounds of Salts Mill in Saltaire. Ten years on she has achieved major success and is now firmly established as the region's only gallery specialising solely in contemporary jewellery, silver and metalsmithing. The '10 Years On' exhibition, which marks Kath's tenure at Salts Mill, is typically ambitious; 35 leading jewellers and designers from the UK and Europe have been invited to create a special piece of work for a competition which has the theme of 'The Mill in Miniature'. Taking inspiration from elements of Salts Mill - whether it be the architecture, the workers, the textiles produced there or Titus Salt himself, the show promises a diverse and fascinating range of responses, translated through both traditional and innovative techniques and using a wide mix of materials. '10 Years On' epitomises the approach that has made Kath's Gallery so successful. Presenting new collections of jewellery and metalsmithing in imaginative and engaging ways has become the house style. Kath has also built her business around a simple philosophy; the creation of strong, trusting relationships with both her customers and her jewellers. Many of the jewellers have had their work exhibited at the Gallery from its early days - and the growth of their careers has been entwined with the developing reputation of KLJ. Kath's keen ability to spot the best young designers each year also ensures that there is always exciting work on display from the very newest talents, alongside that of more established jewellers. The gallery regularly organises major exhibitions/jewellery projects, a number of which have been supported by funding from the Arts Council and the Crafts Council in recognition of the important role they play in showcasing the very best of British and International talent in Yorkshire and the UK.

One such example was 'Distinto/Distinct' (2002), an exchange project with Hipotesi, Barcelona's most prestigious contemporary jewellery gallery, which brought the stunning work of 6 Catalan jewellers to Salts and enabled 6 UK jewellers to not only exhibit their work in Spain, but to also travel to Barcelona for the exhibition preview and to participate in talks and workshops. In 2005, Gallery visitors were invited to 'Follow Me', tracing the progression of seven jewellers and metal smiths who have been supported by KLJ since their graduation; their inspirations and techniques were revealed in a lively documentary which was shown throughout the exhibition. Jenifer Wall was one of the designers whose work featured in 'Follow Me' and she says: "Having met Kath very soon after graduating, KLJ became the first gallery to show my work and 10 years on it remains a hugely important and successful outlet for my collections. Participating in 'Follow Me' made me pause and reflect on the way my designs have developed and the directions I have taken. This is typical of the relationship that Kath has with designers - encouraging you, provoking you and involving you and her enthusiasm is unerring."

TELEGRAPH & ARGUS
AUGUST 2006

Gem of an idea for mill's anniversary
Jewellery specialist Kath Libbert has come up with a gem of an idea to celebrate a decade in business. To mark the occasion at her gallery and shop in Salts Mill she has challenged 35 jewellers and designers from the UK and Europe to create a winning piece of work inspired by the gallery's own lofty surrounds. The winner of the competition with its Mill in Miniature theme will get £500 in prize money - and the public will get to select their own winner too. The lucky winner of the vote will be asked to take on a commission from the Silver family, who own Salts Mill. All the competition entries will be featured in the '10 Years On' exhibition which opens on November 9 and will run until January 28 next year. Kath Libbert said: "Many of the designers have visited Salts and have a great affection for it, so part of my thinking behind the competition was to give them the opportunity not only to be involved in celebrating our ten years here, but also to reflect their impressions of the mill. I can't wait to see what they produce - I know there will be some very imaginative responses. Inspiration could come from the mill's architecture, the workers, the textiles it produced or Titus Salt himself." She said the gamble she took in 1996 to move her business from a table-top stall in Leeds' Corn Exchange to Salts Mill has paid off. And she has pledged to stay at Salts to see her business expand: "I want the expansion to happen right here, it's a special and unique place," she said. . "I've no desire to go anywhere else. I want our reputation to develop more and more, there is still plenty of potential for that to happen here." In the early days she managed to juggle the gallery with working as a community mental health psychologist but gave it up to concentrate on her new career. Ten years on the gallery has made a reputation tor itself as the region's only showcase specialising in contemporary jewellery, silver and metalsmithing. She travels widely seeking out new talent but confesses to not planning much ahead: "I'm not a great planner ahead, I like things to be fresh and stay fresh."

More than 70 designers from the cream of British talent, up-and-coming designers and top European names get to feature their work at the mill throughout the year. Next year she hopes to pull off an exhibition sourced from New Zealand.

It is now in its fifth year of putting on an annual Alternative Wedding and Valentine Show for pure romantics and organises two other major exhibitions or jewellery projects each year, which have been supported by the Arts Council and the Crafts Council.

One of those funded projects was an exchange project between the gallery and Barcelona's most prestigious contemporary jewellery gallery - Hipotesi. The project back in 2002 brought the work of six Catalan jewellers to Salts and in turn six UK jewellers travelled to Spain to exhibit their own work.

One of the other highlights from the past decade, said Miss Libbert, was the chance to return to her maternal homeland, the Czech Republic, two years ago to explore the work of 13 designers. She returned with work for an exhibition called Czech It Out.

"I still get as excited about jewellery as I did ten years ago. As long as people are still producing creatively and getting excited about it themselves, I will keep going," she said.
by Kathie Griffiths,
T&A reporter

Yorkshire Life, October 06 preview of *Ten Years On*

YORKSHIRE LIFE
OCTOBER 2006

KATH LIBBERT JEWELLERY
CELEBRATING a decade of exhibiting and selling weird and wonderful jewellery by top designers from around the world, innovative gallerist Kath Libbert has launched a competition and invited 35 jewellers from the UK and Europe to create a special piece of work entitled the Mill in Miniature. The title of the competition also celebrates Salt's Mill, where the gallery has been for the last ten years.

Art & Exhibition LIFE
By Justine Brooks

Findings, December 06 review of *Ten Years On*

FINDINGS - The Association for Contemporary Jewellery's quarterly newsletter.
December 2006

Kath Libbert Jewellery Gallery - Ten Years On
It seems astonishing that Kath Libbert has been showing and selling jewellery in Salts Mill, Saltaire, for ten years. The list of exhibitions is impressive, and we have been able to review many of the more important shows over the years. Notable among these have been 'Distinto/Distinct' (2002), a collaboration with Galeri Hipotesi in Barcelona, and 'Czech it Out' in 2004, which gave Kath a chance to show exciting work from the Czech Republic, home of her mother's family. Also in 2004, 'Material Girl' showed artists exploring textiles in jewellery. 'Follow Me' traced the progress of seven makers whose work Kath had first shown when they graduated, an opportunity eagerly taken up. There have been plenty more shows in recent years, alongside an ever-renewed stock of work by gallery artists and newcomers. Kath is particularly keen to encourage recent graduates and is always to be seen at New Designers, where she has picked out fresh talents each year. Early on Kath combined managing the gallery with her day job as a psychologist with the Community Mental Health Service Trust in Leeds, but the growing success of the gallery - and the hard work involved - gradually meant that Salts Mill absorbed all her energies. Ten Years On - the Mill in Miniature is a celebration of the past decade, and takes the form of a juried competition in which gallery artists have been invited to make a piece evocative of the Mill itself and its history between opening in 1853 and its closure as a working mill in 1985. Salts Mill is a magnificent Victorian textile mill built by Sir Titus Salt in the centre of Saltaire, the model village he built to house his workforce. It was awarded World Heritage status in 2001, after its rescue and restoration by the late Jonathan Silver. Now a popular 'destination', it houses a large collection of work by local lad David Hockney, a restaurant and a wide range of clothing and household retail outlets. The jewellery gallery fits well into this mixture, and the Mill draws crowds particularly at weekends. It will be fascinating to see how the makers respond to this rich history, and there has been an encouraging response so far. We shall be reviewing the exhibition in our March issue.

CONCEPT FOR LIVING
DECEMBER 2006

10 YEARS ON
THE MILL IN MINIATURE
In 1996, Kath Libbert moved her then-fledgling designer jewellery business from a tabletop stall in Leeds' Corn Exchange to the lofty surrounds of Salts Mill - now home to the world's largest collection of work by David Hockney. Another 10 years on, and Kath is preparing to celebrate her gallery's successful first decade at Salts Mill with this special exhibition and a competition entitled 'The Mill in Miniature'. The exhibition provides 35 leading jewellers and metal smiths from the UK, Europe and Peru with an opportunity to take their inspiration from Salts Mill, whether from the architecture, the workers, or the textiles produced there. Each is creating a special piece for 'The Mill in Miniature' competition. The exhibition promises a diverse and fascinating range of responses, translated through both traditional and innovative techniques, using a wide mix of materials. All of the designers will also have new collections on show throughout the exhibition. A panel of experts will select the winning entry, which will be awarded a prize of £500.

Homes & Antiques, December 2006 listing of *Ten Years On*

HOMES & ANTIQUES
DECEMBER 2006

Festive craft fairs
Kath Libbert in Yorkshire
9th Nov-28th Jan

Contemporary jewellery designer
Kath Libbert is displaying new pieces from 35 jewellers and metalsmiths to celebrate 10 years in business at Salts Mill, in Yorkshire. The designs are based around the history of the building and include a papier mache necklace by Betty Pepper, dedicated to the wife of Titus Salt, the original owner.

Findings, March 2007 review of *Ten Years On*

FINDINGS - The Association for Contemporary Jewellery's quarterly newsletter.
March 2007

10 Years On - The Mill in Miniature
Sarah O'Hana attended the opening
On Thursday 9th November 2006 Kath Libbert, of Saltaire in West Yorkshire, celebrated the 10th anniversary of her gallery in Salts Mill.

Salts Mill, built by Sir Titus Salt in 1853, is steeped in an especially rich industrial history, renowned for its use of Peruvian Alpaca wool. Kath responded to this by inviting 35 makers to take part in a competition with a £500 prize to be won. This was great news indeed. Few competitions exist in the UK for contemporary jewellery, let alone ones that welcome international entries in response to such strong regional history.

Kath's event opened in style with a whirlwind of guests turning out especially to see the entries that had responded to the Salts Mill environment. Nearby, artists' statements were clear to see, and visitors were very keen to read the literature from beginning to end. By having a focus to the celebratory event Kath had created an extra dimension of intrigue that resulted in a very electric, anticipatory atmosphere.

In addition to the juried prize, a Public Vote, whose winner will receive a special commission from the Silver family (owners of Salts Mill), ensured that all present were fully engaged in the scrutiny of these makers. I was delighted to see new work from Catalan favourites Xavier Ines Monclus and Silvia Piva. Monclus' passion for local heritage was given here the perfect platform and his performance did not disappoint with a brooch prominently featuring a blue-smoking factory chimney. Czech Blanka Sperkova presented a necklace of multicoloured alpacas impossibly knitted in wire with her fingers. A minute 18ct gold container by Catherine Mannheim housed vintage photos for a brooch alongside a thoughtful piece by Betty Pepper Lady Caroline's Cameo Appearance made in memory of Titus' wife who bore him 11 children. Domesticity stood side by side with pioneering layer technology seen in Lynne K Murray's rapid prototyped Woollen Nebula. Equally impressive entries by Cathy Miles, Chris Philipson and many others made it hard to cast the public vote.

Finally, from the magnificent, oversized chair at the entrance of her gallery, Kath announced that the jury, Professor Dorothy Hogg MBE (Head of Jewellery and Silversmithing, Edinburgh College of Art) Muriel Wilson (Association for Contemporary Jewellery), Simon Palmer (painter and winner of the Royal Academy 2006 Windsor and Newton Turner Award) and Jennifer Hallam (Arts Council England) had chosen Blanka Sperkova as winner of the £500 gallery award. Kath herself, however, deserves an award for 10 years of visionary performance and a most refreshing approach to international artists and emerging talent. Long may this continue at Salts Mill.

STOP PRESS: The winner of the public vote is announced as Blanka Sperkova again! and by a substantial margin.

Ten Years On

Tassels and Tiaras

Wedding & Valentine Show 2006